Manta, by ‘Kid Expert’ natalie, Age 11

Manta roller coaster, at Sea World, Orlando, Florida

This ride is fantastic! It is located in SeaWorld Orlando, not too far from the Walt Disney World Resort. Personally I think it was extremely well-done, the whole scenario is great. The cue line has many aquariums so you can watch the fish and other creatures. Boarding the ride, you pull the harness down and then an employee comes and secures your feet so they don’t dangle. The car suddenly tilts back until you are hanging “superman” position. That way it feels as if you are gliding like a manta. The ride takes off and you go up an incline. Looking down, you see the park way below. If you are afraid of heights, I do not recommend it! Looking down you see the trees and it gives you a weird feeling inside. Then you go, flying down the hill and going into a complete flip. It feels odd doing a flip because you are hanging, so at one point you are on your back. You then do lots of turns and go into a few corkscrews and flips. The ride is intense, and if you thought Expedition Everest or Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster were intense, watch this one “fly” through the air.         

Manta roller coaster water splash at Sea World. Orlando, Florida

On most rides, they take a picture of you screaming your head off so you can see it after the ride. On Rockin’ Rollercoaster it is right when you take off and on Everest it is when you go down the side of the mountain. Manta has one too…but I had a tough time trying to figure out where it was.

Near the end, the ride dips down very close to the water. It goes on its side and the manta’s fin almost touches the water as a spray squirts. This is a really fun ride, but I think only thrill-seekers should ride it! 

Discover the magic of Walt Disney World® Resorts and parks on a Walt Disney World® Family vacation, and share the joy of Mickey Mouse and company with your kids. Let Ears of Experience plan the perfect Disney trip for you and your loved ones. Contact us today at 1-877-80MOUSE. We look forward to sending you on the magical vacation of a lifetime.

www.themouseexperts.com

 

Planning For A Walt Disney World Trip, Stage 3 -I am at Walt Disney World. What Now? By Gil Pohl

Phase III of planning a trip to Walt Disney World is what I am going to do now?  The resort is so large that I find it impossible to just get up in the morning and start going.  I do need to plan ahead on what parks I will visit and the attractions that I have to see.  How do I decide what park to go to each day?

First, if you have taken my advice and had Ears of Experience book you into one of the many resorts at Walt Disney World, you should look to see if any parks have early Extra Magic Hours.  Extra Magic Hours is when one park opens early (or remains open late) only for those staying on Walt Disney World properties.  If there is an attraction that I know I must experience, I try to go to that park first and ride that ride first.

An example of this type of planning was on my 2008 trip to Animal Kingdom.  No one in the group that I was with had ridden Expedition Everest and we knew that this ride would have long lines all day.  We showed up for the early opening of Animal Kingdom and went directly to Expedition Everest.  We each got a “Fast Pass” for the ride.  A Fast Pass is a printed ticket that allows you to ride a popular ride at a later time without waiting in a long line. And best of all, they’re free. Then we rode the ride without using our Fast Pass, twice.  Once the line starting getting longer, we rode a third time using our Fast Pass.”  By combining Extra Magic Hours and the Fast Pass system, we where able to avoid the lines and experience this attraction three times; all before non-Disney guest where allowed into the park.

It should be noted that if you plan on getting a Fast Pass for any of the popular rides such as Expedition Everest, Toy Story Midway Mania, or Soarin’, get them as soon as you get to the park.  These attractions run out of Fast Passes early in the day.

I usually go to one Park in the morning and “Park Hop” to another in the evening.  I often will go to a park in the morning that does not have Extra Magic Hours and move to the park with evening Extra Magic Hours near closing time.  Again, making sure that during Extra Magic Hours I enjoy those rides that the lines would be to long to visit during the day.  When hopping between parks around noon time, I often return to my hotel room on the park to relax some before returning for an evening of fun.  This can be really important if you have small children with you.  Being able to return to your hotel room for a short rest period is just another benefit of staying on the World.

I guess the bottom line is, it does not matter if you are visiting during peak summer days or some of the slower times of the year, working with someone at Ears of Experience and doing a little advance planning just makes your Disney trip a little more Magical.

Discover the magic of Walt Disney World® Resorts and parks on a Walt Disney World® family vacation, and share the joy of Mickey Mouse and company with your kids. Let Ears of Experience plan the perfect Disney trip for you and your loved ones. Contact us today at 1-877-80MOUSE. We look forward to sending you on the magical vacation of a lifetime.

www.themouseexperts.com

 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, by Kid Expert Nattie, Age 10

If you like animals, habitats or thrilling adventures, you need to go to Disney’s Animal Kingdom®. It has animals from Asia, Africa, and figures of dinosaurs! You get to see your favorites in natural environments that are playing, eating, sleeping, and even up-close and personal. If you love nature with the animals that roam there, go to the Kilimanjaro Safaris® Expedition, where giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, lions, and other exotic animals live. For really up-close and personal action, Rafiki’s Planet Watch is the go-to spot.! You get to see, pet, and groom some animals, and if you are 16 or older, you can go behind the scenes.

For some really thrilling rides at Animal Kingdom, head to Expedition Everest, a ride that takes you through the tallest mountain, Everest, with an angry Yeti on your trail and the soaking wet Kali River Rapids that takes you through the rough, soaked to the skin, rapids of Asia. They are both really rough so if you don’t like rough rides, DON”T GO!!!!!

Written by Nattie, our Kid Expert. For more on her and all of our Kid Tips, check out our 4 Kids page .

Discover the magic of Walt Disney World® Resorts and parks on a Walt Disney World® family vacation, and share the joy of Mickey Mouse and company with your kids. Let Ears of Experience plan the perfect Disney trip for you and your loved ones. Contact us today at 1-877-80MOUSE. We look forward to sending you on the magical vacation of a lifetime.